Afterall's Art Pedagogy Research Explores Decolonization and Alternative Educational Models

Afterall's research strand, previously called Afterall ArtSchool, examines multimedia methods to rethink art education's present and future. The pilot ArtSchool 2020 project launched after Central Saint Martins closed temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on Afterall's One Work series to use artworks for sparking critical, transformative thought. A symposium titled Decolonisation in the 2020s collaborated with Museu de Arte de São Paulo, UAL's Decolonising Arts Institute, and Goldsmiths Department of Visual Cultures, inviting contributors to write 1,500-word texts and discuss them in live video calls. Another initiative, THE EDUCATIONAL WEB, takes Ivan Illich's 1971 book Deschooling Society as a starting point to foster dialogue between art and its underlying educational practices. Hiding in Plain Sight explores alternative study approaches inspired by Fred Moten and Stefano Harney's concept of the 'undercommons', encouraging arts practitioners, theorists, and students to operate outside institutional frameworks. These programs aim to generate discussions on decolonization, pedagogy, and non-traditional learning environments in contemporary art contexts.